Then on February 24 he was seen in the Tesco Express in Market Way and in Little Park Street before he was spotted lying in an alleyway off Salt Lane.

He was back in court on February 25 when he was fined a total of £100 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge for breaching the order.

Dyke is one of a number of beggars who have found themselves in Coventry Magistrates Court in the past few months – with many being hit by big fines.

Neil Wilson, aged 43, was fined £400 after he was caught begging in the Barracks car park twice in January.

Jason Needham, aged 38, was fined £200 for begging in the subway off Warwick Road in December and Janusz Wiankowski, aged 43, was fined £260 and ordered to pay £80 costs after he was caught begging in Cox Street car park last summer.

All three were of no fixed address and didn’t turn up to court.

During one court hearing a defendant accused of begging gave his address as a city centre subway.

In the last 18 months city centre police have taken more than 50 people to court for begging – with one receiving a 26-week prison sentence for repeatedly breaching a criminal anti-social behaviour order.

Police say they are working with partner agencies like the Salvation Army and Recovery Partnership to try and turn beggars’ lives around.

At the moment officers are applying for CRIMBOs to be handed to another four nuisance beggars.

Mike Fowler, chief executive of Coventry Cyrenians, who help homeless, vulnerable or disadvantaged people in Coventry, said: “We have done street surveys in the past and I remember on one occasion we spoke to all the beggars in Coventry.

“None were homeless. What we have found is that many people do not beg because they are homeless, they beg to feed an addiction.

“I’m not sure whether you would rather these people were sitting on the streets begging or shoplifting or robbing people.

“It’s a very fine line. I’m not sure if the way the courts are addressing the problem is the right way if they are handing out big fines.”